Tempest
by metforce
Summary: Two storms threaten the Tower. One bears down on the city, the other rages in Raven’s heart. Can Raven deal with Beast Boy and Terra’s relationship without tearing herself and the others apart? Will she find peace in a dream or more turmoil? RaexMorpheus
1. Chapter 1

**Tempest**

Two storms threaten the Tower. One bears down on the city, the other rages in Raven's heart. Can Raven deal with Beast Boy and Terra's relationship without tearing herself and the others apart? Will she find peace in a dream or more turmoil? RaexMorpheus with a little RaexCy

**Chapter I: Unsettled Sleep**

Raven rolled over in bed and moaned softly to herself. She lay in bed wondering what had interrupted her dreamless sleep. The room was dark and silent. A sudden gust of wind slammed against the Tower rattling the windows.

Sitting up Raven drew her knees to her chest then wrapped her arms around them rubbing her face on the soft fleece of her sheets. Another silent moment passed before the wind thrashed angrily at the window once again. No use fighting it, she was up. Her head ached, though it was nothing a good cup of tea wouldn't fix. Raven turned and sighed after looking at her digital clock. It read 1:37 PM.

With a groan she threw off her sheets, swung her feet to the side of the bed and tentatively put her bare feet on the carpeted floor. The windows rattled fiercely once more almost demanding that she get up and investigate. She pushed herself up on her feet and staggered over to the curtains parting them slightly to peer out into gloom.

Raven squinted trying to hold back the sudden barrage of light coming in through the narrow opening in the curtains. Her head pounded momentarily until her eyes adjusted. Outside the ocean was frothy and full of angry waves. They pounded the rocks outside the Tower shooting columns of spray into the air that the wind quickly blew onto the shore. The sky was covered with fast moving grey clouds. It did not look like the day was going to go well if the weather was any indication.

Another soft sigh filled the room as the curtains closed allowing darkness to take over once again. Raven felt her way to her bathroom and in the faint light turned on the faucet. Cold water splashed lightly into the sink. Raven paused for a moment listening then cupped her hands, leaned over and splashed water onto her face. Faint relief came to her as she reached out in the dark searching for a towel. She buried her face in its softness and tried to gather herself. Again she reached out in the dark and felt around for her toothbrush and toothpaste. Finding these she slowly brushed her teeth as the water continued to trickle into the sink.

She was getting used to functioning in the dark. How she wished she could submerge herself in darkness forever and never see another thing again. There were just too many things the light had exposed her to, too many things that disturbed her and too many things that brought her pain. This was all her fault; she had no one to blame but herself.

Once she rinsed out her mouth, Raven put her things aside and took a deep breath. Whether she liked it or not it was time to face the light once again. She staggered back to her door, took a deep breath then stepped forward into the hall.

The light outside her door caused Raven's head to pound once more. She trudged through the hall past the others' doors straining to hear any noise emanating from them. To her relief there was only silence. Any amorous conversations or laughing would have only added to her misery. There was more of this in the Tower these days than she could stand. Of course the silence meant the others were bound to be in the main room.

Raven steeled herself for their inevitable greetings. "Hey Raven, how's it going?" one of them would cheerfully ask. "Oh, just great! Can't you tell I feel like shit you dumb fuck!" Of course she wouldn't say that no matter how much she longed to. Instead she would offer them a light smile, a forced laugh and then a, "Oh I'm just fine thank you." This whole charade was driving her mad.

The main room was empty. Raven glanced around slightly curious to the whereabouts of the other Titans. The silence was almost eerie. Raven stood in the empty room and closed her eyes trying to sense where the others were. She growled in frustration; she couldn't concentrate well enough to get a read. She drew in a deep breath and rubbed her temples with her fingers trying to regain her focus. There were no others in the Tower. A great relief washed over her. She would have a short reprieve from her sorrows.

Raven went to the kitchen and started her tea. Her kettle soon whistled loudly in the quiet room signaling relief was only a couple of moments away. She poured the water through her tea strainer allowing its sweet aroma to fill the room. A squirt of honey and a quick stir from her spoon and it was ready. Raven raised the cup to her lips and carefully sipped her tea as a wave of satisfaction swept over her.

"Where is everyone?" Raven finally said to herself as she surveyed the empty room. The consul was blinking, something that had escaped her attention when she entered the room. Raven walked over and sat down in front of the blinking screen. She carefully put her tea to the side and looked over the panel trying to remember the access code and password.

The screen became dark momentarily indicating she had followed the proper sequence to get the annoying blinking to stop. After a moment the screen flickered to life and Cyborg came into focus. Raven was thankful for this turn of events; she could still converse with him without feeling like a corked volcano.

"Hey there sleeping beauty," he said with a broad smile. "Finally decide to wake up?"

Raven frowned. "You're lucky the wind woke me up and my head needed caffeine or I'd still be in my room."

"Late night last night?" Cyborg asked cautiously. He knew he was treading on thin ice asking about her whereabouts.

"Yea," Raven replied coldly. "Where is everyone?" she asked hoping to redirect their conversation.

"The rest of the gang are out in the T-plane," Cyborg quickly explained. "The storm caught some freighters off guard so they're out doing search and rescue before things get too heavy."

"Why aren't you with them?" Raven asked. "Didn't feel like being a third wheel?"

Cyborg paused momentarily sensing a slight hint of disgust in Raven's voice. "Nah, I'm down at the weather office. This storm's a dozy," Cyborg replied. "I'm trying to relay forecasts out to the team and they're relaying readings back to rerun in the models."

"So what's their status," Raven coolly asked. In truth she didn't really care what the others were up to. What ever the situation was like out there she was sure Beast Boy, Terra, Robin and Starfire were having the time of their lives with one another. They all had become endless laughing machines ever since they started dating each other. Raven seethed at the thought.

"They're about done at this point," Cyborg explained. "Looks like they'll have to divert north and wait this one out."

"Good luck getting Robin to go around a storm," Raven countered. "He'll probably go right through the worst of it."

"Not this time," Cyborg quickly corrected her. "The weather forecasters here are saying this storm is the worst one they've ever seen. It's dropping out of the Aleutians. Winds are peaking over a hundred miles per hour; waves at some of the deep-sea buoys are over fifty feet. The storm's scattered all the fishing fleets up north. Sometimes it's wise to stay out of Mother Nature's way."

"So I guess you'll be back soon?" Raven asked as she picked up her tea, leaned back in her chair and put her feet up. She raised her cup to her mouth and took another sip.

"Nah," Cyborg said as he shook his head. "I'm going to hang out here until the storm goes through. You all right with that?"

"Sure," Raven replied relieved her solitude would last a bit longer. "What's going on there that you can't do here?"

"Man what isn't going on here!" Cyborg said as an enthusiastic smile washed across his face. "The weather service people have these incredible work stations. They can download and overlay just about any piece of weather data you want in real time. Their super computing center in Colorado can handle terabytes of info in no time. Here let me show you."

Cyborg looked down and Raven's consul screen quickly became segregated into several sections. In one section a swirl of clouds came up then looped as the monitor showed the satellite pictures of the storm's progression towards the coast. Another portion of the screen showed the outline of the continent with green and yellow blobs converging on the coast then heading inland. Raven stared at the screen unsure what her friend was trying to show her.

"What is this?" she asked hoping for a simple explanation though she knew Cyborg was incapable of providing her with one. She would never convince her friend that she was a technophobe at heart.

"Top section's the overlay of the IR satellite and surface obs looped over the last six hours," he enthusiastically replied unaware that Raven's eyes were beginning to gloss over. "The bottom frame shows the last GFS run. We should be getting the ETA and RUC runs within the hour. It's so cool how they integrate everything so quickly. The whole staff is in here; things are really humming."

Raven looked down then took another sip of her tea as a sly smile crossed her face. "Geek," she said lightly under her breath.

"Their computers here can handle so much information its mind…" Cyborg paused then cocked his head sideways and gave Raven a curious look. "What did you just say?"

Raven continued to look down trying to maintain a straight face. She looked up and smiled unable to contain herself any longer. "GEEK!" she repeated the insult louder this time.

"That's just plain cold," Cyborg replied with a frown.

Raven began to laugh uncontrollably; the look on Cyborg's face was precious. She suddenly pulled her legs off the consul and sat upright in her chair. "OH CRAP!" she leaned forward as she continued to splash scalding tea on herself. "Look what you made me do. I spilled hot tea all over myself." She continued to laugh lightly at her predicament.

Cyborg couldn't help but laugh watching his cohort struggle with her dripping tea cup. There was something magical about Raven's laugh. It was a treasure to savor because it came so infrequently. "HA, bad karma right back at you!" he snorted.

"You'd better stop teasing me or I'm gonna bad karma my tea all over the console," Raven replied as she steadied her cup and smiled back at her partner.

"You do that and I won't be there the next time you need help downloading your music," Cyborg countered.

"And the next time you drop your socket wrench down the drain I won't be there to pull it out for you," Raven answered Cyborg's veiled threat with a wicked smile.

Cyborg paused for a moment looking into Raven's soft violet eyes as she smiled devilishly at him. A person could loose themselves in those deep mysterious eyes. "OK," Cyborg finally broke the silence. "I'll forgive you for that slight this time. Are you sure you're going to be all right by yourself in the Tower until this thing blows over?"

"Yes Daddy," Raven said half mockingly. "I think I can handle the silence. If I only knew how to change the access codes I could have the whole Tower to myself permanently."

"Girl, it's not that hard. I've only tried to explain it to you a thousand times over the last few years," Cyborg replied in slight frustration. "I don't know why you can't just break down and embrace the technology."

"You know that's not my style," Raven replied. "It's easy for you, you're half technology already." Raven froze realizing she had slighted her friend. She saw Cyborg cringe on the screen. "I'm sorry Cyborg," she said with genuine remorse, "I didn't mean that as an insult."

"That's OK, I know what you meant," Cyborg said with a smile. "Do you know how to start the backup generators?" he asked. "The power's bound to go out once this storm hits."

"I think so," Raven replied calmly. "I've got candles, I don't need power," she protested lightly.

"Just do it," Cyborg pleaded. "I'd feel better if all of the Tower systems are up just in case you get into trouble."

"All right," Raven conceded. "I'll go downstairs and get everything ready."

"Thanks," Cyborg replied. "Stay low and don't do anything foolish."

"No problem," Raven countered. She was touched that her friend was so concerned for her. "Don't worry, I'll be kicking back here with some tea and a good book," she said trying to reassure her worried friend.

"Sounds good, see you in a little bit." Cyborg watched as Raven reached up and ended the transmission. The screen went blank in front of him. Cyborg paused for a moment staring at the empty screen smiling lightly to himself.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter II: My Sweet Sorrow**

A lone hooded figure stood in front of the raging sea. Raven leaned into the fierce wind with her eyes pinched shut and fists clenched tightly by her side. She was oblivious to the mighty waves crashing against the rocky shore just yards from her. Seething anger blasted through her veins almost matching the intensity of the storm that was approaching her.

Out in the grey skies the source of all her anger and despair was engaged in happy flight. Jealousy was not an emotion Raven could easily contend with. She had been taught emotional discipline from a young age. Anger, happiness, love, they had all been relatively easy to control. But jealousy, that was another emotion entirely. It was much stronger than any single emotion because it was always accompanied by resentment, guilt, anger and revenge. Together they had stormed Raven's tower of stoicism, overwhelming her defenses and poisoning her heart and mind.

"I curse your dark soul," Raven hissed into the raging winds taunting her father. He was the one responsible for Terra's return. Why the hell had he recalled Slade and Terra from beyond. Better Slade's remains rot in some box in the Tower and Terra be a permanent fixture in some dark cavern than for both of them to walk this world taunting her.

"No, that's not true," a soft voice spoke up in her mind. "You helped restore her powers, welcomed her back then became her friend." An angry voice quickly responded in her mind, "Well would a friend taunt you with love then steal it away?" Terra had told Raven that Beast Boy had feelings for her, something she had been oblivious to. Or had she? Had she denied herself this possibility? Maybe; she wasn't entirely sure now. Either way Raven confirmed Beast Boy's feelings then watched helplessly as his feelings for her slowly diminished over time to be replaced by an even stronger love for Terra. Raven was surprised at how angry she had gotten over this. Why did she care so much for someone who had only annoyed her in the past?

Raven had always felt Beast Boy continuously taunted her to prove he could tap emotions from an emotionless soul. Now she knew it was much more than that. She was wrong about his intentions, now any happiness she would have had with him was being taken away by the desert girl with the long blond hair and dancing blue eyes. Robin and Starfire's budding relationship only added to her misery. The feeling of loneliness was crushing her.

She screamed violently into the raging winds. Her voice was barely audible above the crashing waves and howling gale. There was nothing she could do now, the die was cast; loneliness would be her only companion. Raven felt all of her strength suddenly drain from her body as sorrow consumed her. She placed her hands to her face and sobbed lightly to herself.

Raven opened her eyes and looked out over the frothy sea as grey clouds raced overhead. She felt a familiar dark presence behind her. A light smile crossed her face as she turned around.

_Sol Palus_ stood several feet behind her. Raven raised her hand and slowly walked towards her Nightmare stallion. He stomped his hoof nervously at the ground and jostled his head in agitation.

"Shall I sing to you my Sweet Sorrow?" Raven softly cooed to her dark servant. _Sol Palus_ swung his head up and down quickly in agreement. Raven closed her eyes and sang her low sad song serenading her stallion with a sweet sorrowful melody. When Raven finished her ballad _Sol Palus_ stepped forward allowing her to wrap her arms around his neck and rest her brow on his head. Raven could feel the prickly surface of her stallion's gray coat. She reached up and stroked his long neck as he softly grunted to her in reassurance. A light rain began to fall.

After a moment Raven stepped back and looked sadly into her companion's glowing grey eyes. She had chosen to address him as Sweet Sorrow knowing that speaking the demon's real name would only tempt disaster. The name seemed appropriate since he always seemed to show up when she was gripped in the depths of depression. Raven couldn't tell if the beast caused her sorrow or was attracted to it. Either way she always felt better after his appearances. A dark companion was better than none at all.

"OK smart boy," she gently chided him as she squeezed tears from her eyes. "Do you remember our little game?" Raven took several steps backwards and held up both her arms balling her hands into fists with her palms facing down. "Which hand is it in?"

_Sol Palus_ grunted in approval as he considered which of his master's hands contained the treat. After an agonizing second the beast stepped forward and softly nuzzled Raven's left fist. Raven smiled, turned her fist over and opened her hand. She quickly retrieved a horseradish root from the tower and placed it in her palm.

"Good boy," she replied in encouragement. "Go ahead and take it."

The beast quickly nuzzled up to Raven's palm, clasped the prize between his lips, then stepped back and munched contentedly on it. Raven kept her palm open; the last time she held his treat in her hand the beast had almost gnawed off her fingers. It had taken forever to find something her companion would eat. Carrots, celery, lettuce, radishes, apples and all of the things normal horses would eat he had rejected. She happened on horseradish root almost by accident. Beast Boy was happy to keep the refrigerator stocked with it even if he wasn't really sure what Raven needed them for.

"I'm glad I don't have to clean up after you," Raven commented to her dark mount. She stepped forward and gently stroked the side of her stallion's head. Over time Raven began to trust her dark companion and look forward to his visits. She maintained only a small remnant of caution since Nightmares typically only served evil entities in the dark planes of hell. She didn't fall into that category as far as she knew.

A gust of wind struck the pair nearly knocking Raven over. She clasped tightly onto _Sol Palus'_ neck to keep herself from falling over. The stallion leaned forward and grunted in protest.

"Big storm coming," Raven commented as she got her feet back under herself. "Guess I'd better get inside."

She turned to make her way back to the Tower in the driving rain. Her stallion stood nearly motionless turning his head to watch his master make her way cautiously toward her home. Another gust of wind hit Raven's body causing her to stagger. This one made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. Something was out there. Raven turned around and looked blankly into the storm clouds. The wind hit her again and hissed "TEMPEST!" A feeling of some powerful entity passed through Raven causing her to shiver. Whatever it was it was dwelling in this monstrous storm.

"Who is Tempest?" Raven asked herself softly.

_Sol Palus_ strode up to his master and whinnied loudly to gain her attention. Raven turned to her agitated companion. She reached up and gently stroked his neck trying to reassure him.

"Do you know what this is all about?" she asked gently not really expecting an answer from him.

"Morpheus," the beast's voice suddenly echoed in Raven's mind.

Raven turned and gave her companion a curious stare. "What does this storm have to do with the god of dreams?" she asked. It made no sense to her at all.

"Morpheus," _Sol Palus'_ voice echoed in her mind once again.

Raven sighed in frustration. While _Sol Palus'_ company was greatly appreciated his conversations with her were often frustratingly simple. She watched as the stallion collapsed onto the ground beckoning her to mount.

_Sol Palus_ whinnied loudly in protest once again. Raven turned to look back into the storm then back at her kneeling stallion. After another moment she walked over and climbed on his back. He obviously knew something she didn't. She pinched her legs and grabbed onto his mane as he gingerly stood up. A blinding light erupted in front of them. The pair stepped forward into the light leaving the gathering storm behind them.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter III: The Void.**

_Sol Palus_ and Raven exited the gateway and entered a vast blackness. Raven shuddered suddenly surrounded by this unsettling darkness. It wasn't the darkness that unsettled her it was the nothingness. She felt her heart race in her chest as panic filled her. Had her companion led them into a trap?

Her steed continued forward into the darkness. Raven squeezed her legs tightly around her stallion's chest and pulled on his mane in protest. She couldn't find the strength to command him to take her back. All she could do was hold on tightly not wanting to be abandoned in this hopeless place.

After a few moments Raven could make out a faint purple light emanating from the suffocating darkness. _Sol Palus_ was thankfully walking towards it. She could sense great anger in this emptiness.

Her steed halted a short distance from the god of dreams. He sat perched on a large boulder, legs drawn to his chest, arms draped across his knees and his dark goateed face resting on his forearms. His eyes burned a deep violet color that pierced the darkness but cast no shadows. Raven could feel anger surging through him.

"Morpheus," Raven cautiously called to him. He didn't answer. "MORPHEUS," Raven blurted out loudly startling herself and the young immortal perched before her.

"WHO'S THERE," Morpheus demanded as he came out of his trance. His glowing eyes probed the darkness in search of whoever had called out to him.

"It's me, Raven," she meekly replied. "Remember me?" Morpheus' eyes were unsettling in the darkness.

The god's eyes focused on her causing her to shiver momentarily. "Raven?" he called lightly to her. His glowing eyes softened a bit. "What are you doing here?"

Raven sighed in relief. He had recognized her. "Someone brought me here to see you." Raven looked down at her Nightmare as he grunted in the darkness then slowly lowered himself to the ground. Raven waited for a moment looking up into the immortal's glowing purple eyes.

"You may approach me," he announced. Raven frowned momentarily. Since when did he have the right to order her around? She swung her feet off her mount and took several steps towards the large boulder Morpheus was perched on. He looked down at her awaiting an explanation for her appearance.

"Nice place," she dryly commented. "Why aren't you in your parent's castle?"

The immortal's eyes burned more intensely as another wave of anger coursed through him. "I'll give you three guesses and the first two don't count," he sneered down to her.

"My guess would be your mother's gone and your father's on one of his drunken rages," Raven called up to him. "Am I right?"

Morpheus touched his finger to his nose and nodded his head affirmative. He maintained his silence as his eyes continued to glow in the gloom.

"It's not your fault he's angry. He misses his wife," Raven cautiously offered.

"Yea, I know," Morpheus replied softly. "But I miss my Mom too. He doesn't need to take it out on me. I didn't force him into this situation."

"Are you all right?" Raven asked sincerely. She could sympathize with someone who had so much trouble with an overbearing father.

"Yea I think so," Morpheus answered. Raven could see the light in his eyes ease ever so slightly.

"Mind if I join you?" Raven called up to him. "Misery enjoys company."

Morpheus looked down from his perch then smiled. "Sure, if you don't mind hanging out with someone who's thoroughly depressed at the moment."

"Not at all," Raven replied. The immortal stood up then extended his hand down to her. Raven reached up and Morpheus gently pulled her up onto his perch. The pair steadied themselves then sat down on top of the boulder sitting close to one another staring out into the blackness.

After a short pause Raven spoke up. "What is this place?"

"The Void," Morpheus replied. "It's the realm my father granted me."

Raven shuddered at this revelation. "Nice gift," she commented.

"Well at least I can truthfully say that my father gave me nothing," Morpheus said with a disgusted laugh.

Raven turned to face the young immortal. He continued to stare out into the darkness. His eyes began to fade to a light purple. She could sense the anger slowly receding from him. "Well it's not much better than what my Dad gave me," Raven replied with a small laugh.

Morpheus turned to look at his companion. "What the destruction of the world?" he said to her in slight amusement. "Well at least you got to enjoy something your Dad gave you."

"I don't know about that," Raven softly countered. "I'd say both of our father's gifts rank pretty high up there on the scale of crappiness."

The immortal rested his head on his knees and sighed wearily. The last remnants of purple faded from his eyes allowing the pair to be consumed in darkness. Raven could feel still his presence bringing her relief from the stifling Void surrounding them.

"Must we always dwell in the darkness of our fathers' shadows?" the immortal's voice called softly to her. Morpheus' eyes began to glitter and glow driving the shadows away from the pair. Raven sat transfixed by the stars swirling and glittering in the god's dark eyes. He smiled lightly to her then turned his head and cast his eyes upwards.

Raven looked up into what had been deep darkness just moments before. In its place a field of stars swirled . She leaned back trying to take in the entire scene cast above them. Raven suddenly gasped as she felt herself begin to slide off the back of the boulder. Morpheus' arm gently caught her and hoisted her back to her perch. Raven smiled lightly to him then cast her eyes back into the stars .

The scene had unexpectedly changed. Among the stars were three moons. Two were large and full; one casting an orange glow the other glowing with a light green one. A small crescent of white sat perched along the horizon.

Raven frowned in disapproval. "That's not right," she spoke up.

"All right, as you wish," Morpheus called out. The three moons disappeared from the sky above them.

"No, don't take them all away," Raven protested. "Put the crescent moon back please."

"Waxing or waning?" Morpheus replied.

"Waxing," Raven instructed. "Hanging just above the sunset," she further explained to him.

"Like this," Morpheus gently asked. The crescent moon hung just above a deep violet horizon marking the last remnants of the setting sun.

"Perfect," Raven dreamily replied.

"My turn," Morpheus called to her. Raven looked down in front of her. _Sol Palus_ now sat in a field of grass. A meadow stretched out before the pair, its tall grass waving lightly in the pale moonlight. Mighty strands of trees surrounded the field thrusting upwards into the horizon. Morpheus exhaled softly and a light wind washed across Raven's facing bringing with it the sweet smell of pine needles.

"Almost finished," Morpheus said as he smiled to her. He raised his hand and snapped his finger. The air immediately filled with the sounds of chirping crickets and clicking insects.

Raven sat relaxed taking in the scene Morpheus had created for her. "You certainly have a talent for this," Raven said saluting Morpheus's creation.

"Oh I can't take full credit," he gently corrected her. "You helped. It takes two to produce something like this."

"I didn't do anything," Raven countered.

"No, that's not true. I can only work with someone's memories and hopes. That's all dreams really are," he tried to explain to her.

"Oh wait, I forgot one more thing," Morpheus suddenly said. Raven watched as the young immortal quickly cupped his hands together. A faint green glow showed through the cracks in his fingers.

Raven smiled in anticipation. "What is it?" she asked.

"A firefly," Morpheus replied with a smile. He opened his hands allowing Raven to see the source of the flickering green light. A small beetle was meticulously climbing up the immortal's hand flashing intermittently.

"Does it hurt?" Raven asked curiously.

Morpheus laughed at Raven's seemingly innocent question. He saw her blush in embarrassment. "You really are a city girl aren't you? You've never seen fireflies before?"

Raven shook her head no. Morpheus gently scooted over too her and placed his hand on her arm. The two watched as the firefly slowly crawled off Morpheus' hand and onto Raven's arm. She cringed momentarily as the insect glowed lightly. It tickled her as it gently crawled along her skin. Raven held up her arm and watched it methodically work its way to the top of her finger tips. There it paused momentarily surveying its surroundings. Then it opened its wings and flew off into the night sky.

Raven looked up and watched the glowing insect fly into a sea of blinking lights. The meadow was now full of swirling and flashing green lights darting and chasing on another. A soft whisper of the winds in the pine trees filled the air as a light breeze flowed across the moonlit field. The surrounding trees were equally full of flashing green lights reminding Raven of over-sized Christmas trees.

The scene in front of the pair was complete. Raven turned to her companion and smiled lightly to him in approval. She caught the young immortal looking longingly into her eyes. She quickly turned away then cast her eyes upwards into the heavens drawing in a deep breath filled with the sweet scent of pine.

Both sat silently on the boulder serenaded by the chirping crickets and surrounded by the swirling masses of fireflies. Raven was drawn upwards into the stars converging on one particular area that caught her attention. This small area slowly came into focus. She was being drawn closer to something there. Between the stars there were two swirling spheres orbiting closely to one another. One sphere was filled with blinding light the other with deep swelling darkness. Raven watched in fascination as they began to quickly twirl around each other picking up speed as they shed brilliant flashes of light and warmth. A sudden panic filled her heart when she realized all of them would be consumed in this burst of energy.

"Morpheus," she weakly called out in fear. She tried with all her might to extract herself from the stars and back into her body.

"Morpheus," she called out stronger this time. Raven could feel her essence quickly pulling away from the two spheres that had nearly consumed them. A sad feeling began to overwhelm her as she pulled away from the light and warmth.

"Morpheus?" Raven said firmly as she returned from the field of stars. She turned and shook the immortal sitting next to her.

"What?" Morpheus replied dreamily to her.

"Who is Tempest?" she said to him finally remembering the reason she had sought him out in the first place.

"Who?" Morpheus weakly said to her. She waited for the immortal's eyes to focus on her. They were dark and probing. The sounds of crickets began to fade.

"Who is Tempest?" Raven asked him once again in slight frustration.

"Tempest?" he groggily replied. "Who is Tempest?" he repeated her question.

Raven nodded her head as she finally returned to her senses. She was slightly disoriented and upset with herself for not maintaining her focus.

"How do you know Tempest?" the god looked at her and smiled with dreamy eyes. Raven could sense a faint glow of happiness flow through him.

"What is she an old girl friend or something?" Raven asked half kiddingly.

"We had a brief fling if you must know," Morpheus unexpectedly replied. He noticed Raven cringe. "Come on," he protested. "I've been alive for thousands of years. I've had a couple of relationships before I met you." Raven looked downward in disgust. "What, a pretty girl like you has never had a boyfriend or broken someone's heart?" he unexpectantly inquired.

"Just answer the question," Raven said in disgust. She didn't need any reminding of her failings at this juncture.

"Let's see," Morpheus paused for a moment to gather his thoughts and run his hand through his short black hair. "What's the best way to describe her?"

"Keep it simple," Raven coolly replied. She wanted a quick explanation so she could get out of here.

"A pixie with attitude," the god of dreams replied. He looked over and smiled.

"What does that mean?" Raven said in frustration.

Morpheus sighed, then paused seeking a better explanation. "Tempest is an immortal. Her medium is storm. I'd strongly suggest you stay away from her if she's come back to the realm of mortals."

"Why, does your girlfriend have a bad temper?" Raven said with a slight smile as she stood up on the boulder and cautiously worked her way back down to the ground. The scene Morpheus and her had created was slowly fading.

"We just had a brief fling," Morpheus quickly corrected her as he watched Raven jump lightly onto the ground with her cape fluttering behind her.

"Afraid of commitment?" Raven looked back at the immortal with a smirk as she made her way back to _Sol Palus_.

"Let's just say things got a bit stormy between us," Morpheus replied.

Raven turned around and groaned in protest before she climbed back up onto her mount's back. The Nightmare slowly raised himself from the bare ground as darkness began to take over once again.

"Leaving so soon?" Morpheus called down to her. "Was it something I said?"

Raven chuckled lightly. "No, I did enjoy the visit but I must be going. I've got a pixie to swat."

Morpheus smiled as he shook his head in bewilderment. "A heroine's work is never done. You'd be wise to stay out of Tempest's way."

"Advice noted." Raven replied unconcerned with Morpheus' warning. She turned her steed around and prepared to head back to the realm of mortals to confront Tempest before she hurt anyone. "Goodbye Morpheus."

"Goodbye Raven," Morpheus replied with a slight laugh. He watched as Raven and her steed passed out of the Void with a brilliant flash of light. "So arrogant," he whispered to himself as he turned and stared out into the gloom alone once more.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter IV: Goddess of Storm**

Raven rode out of the quiet Void and into a howling gale. Wind-driven rain pelted her harshly instantly drenching her and her mount. She guided _Sol Palus_ as close to the swelling sea as she dared. The waves were pummeling the rocky shore vaulting columns of spray into the stiff winds. It was already dark outside. How long had she been with Morpheus? She cursed her lack of focus once again.

_Sol Palus_ grunted and swung his head in the driving rain. He and Raven could sense the storm goddess approaching. Both took a deep breath preparing themselves for their inevitable confrontation.

Raven looked out into the storm trying desperately to make out her opponent from the shadows. Grey light from her mount's eyes offered feeble illumination. Her heart raced as she made out a small figure skimming across the sea, bumping over the waves, twirling and spinning like a figure skater on the stormy waters slowly making her way towards the shore.

The goddess rose above of the boiling sea in front of Raven and her mount. The winds and rain seemed to pause as the figure floated before them. The girl poised in the air in front of them had short golden hair that appeared to wither on her head. Her right eye was deep blue, her left a dark brown. She was covered in a tattered shirt and equally ragged shorts. To Raven she appeared to be no older than ten.

Both girls stared coldly at one another. "Tempest?" Raven finally broke the silence.

After a brief pause the girl floated closer to Raven. "Yes, I am Tempest. Goddess of the storm, bringer of the divine wind," a girlish voice replied. "Who are you?" Her eyes narrowed as she looked at Raven awaiting a proper response.

"I am Raven," she answered firmly. "Daughter of Trigon and Teen Titan," she added as an afterthought.

Tempest began to snicker at her reply. "Demon spawn," she said disparagingly. "And what do you want of me?"

Raven seethed at Tempest's insult. "I don't want anything from you," Raven replied barely able to contain her anger. "I just want you to leave."

A broad smile crossed Tempest's face before she broke out into astonished laughter. "You half-breed," she sneered. "Do you and that pathetic dream ruiner expect to stop me? Do you know who I am? I am Tempest, goddess of the storm. No creature, god or goddess can oppose me." Raven stared unimpressed with her opponent's words. Tempest took in a deep breath. "You have lost your mind. I will give you one last chance to repent and leave my presence." She calmly floated on the air awaiting Raven's response.

Raven raised her hands and summoned her powers. Several boulders rose into the air under her will and hurtled towards the goddess. _Sol Palus_ grunted in disapproval and stepped back in a defensive posture. Raven watched as Tempest dove, twisted and cart wheeled avoiding the missiles she had tossed at her. They landed harmlessly into the raging ocean several hundred yards off shore.

Tempest smiled wildly at her opponent's feeble attempt to strike her. In an instant she twirled in the air bringing her arms tight into her body increasing her rate of spin until she was lost in the gray mists of a great whirlwind that quickly descended upon her opponents.

Raven screamed briefly as the whirlwind gathered her and _Sol Palus_ in its grip. She squeezed her legs together and leaned down wrapping her arms tightly around her mount's neck as the pair were pulled off the ground and into the spinning vortex. Raven could feel her grip on her mount's rain-slickened coat slip as they both tumbled violently in the air. Her fingernails ran helplessly along _Sol Palus'_ coat until Raven was grasping at thin air as her body spun out of control.

In the feeble light Raven could see her mount tumbling out of the sky as he whinnied loudly. Raven's head spun wildly as she tried to gather herself in the howling winds and driving rain. Tempest had thrown the pair well off shore. A light splash welled up from the dark agitated ocean surface below Raven's feet. She could see her mount's glowing eyes as he struggled to stay afloat in the frothy sea.

"One down and one to go," Tempest's voice boomed above the din.

Lightning flashed in the clouds above giving Raven a quick glimpse of her surroundings. There was nothing for her to work with out here. She felt nearly helpless and unsure what to do next. Should she take flight and abandon the battle, confront Tempest or try and rescue her mount from the raging ocean below her?

"Take this demon spawn!" Tempest cried as she suddenly appeared in front of Raven. She drove her fist into Raven's gut knocking the wind out of her. A quick round house caught her in the chin. Stars exploded in Raven's eyes. She quickly spun backwards away from her attacking opponent who had a much stronger punch than she had expected.

Raven rubbed her aching jaw. She could taste blood in her mouth but all her teeth seemed to be in place. A gust of wind caught her cape pulling her unexpectedly. She could sense her opponent converging upon her. Raven quickly pulled her cape over her head then with her powers tossed it at Tempest. It enveloped the goddess wrapping tightly around her small frame. Raven could hear Tempest scream in frustration as she tried to claw her way out of her cape.

Raven descended towards to tumbling sea hoping to retrieve her mount and make a quick escape. She was now willing to take Cyborg and Morpheus' advice and head for cover. Her heart raced as she surveyed the swelling ocean surface. The raging storm made it nearly impossible for her to concentrate on sensing where _Sol Palus_ was. Her sight was also of little use in this dark storm.

A cold arm reached out and unexpectedly wrapped around Raven's neck. Tempest's body quickly pressed against Raven's back. The goddess wrapped her legs around her waist. The two girls spun upwards through the driving rain and howling winds. Tempest squeezed her arm around Raven's neck, her elbow positioned just under her chin.

"Let's see how the demon spawn does without her powers," Tempest hissed in Raven's ear as she squeezed her arms and legs tighter around her helpless opponent. With that Raven could feel her powers drained by the storm goddess.

Raven's heart pounded in her head as she gasped helplessly in Tempest's strangle hold. She dug her fingernails deeply into the goddess' arm in a desperate attempt to get her to loosen her grip. The throbbing in Raven's head slowed as the din of the storm began to fade in her ears. Raven's body went limp as Tempest squeezed the last bit of struggle out of her.

Raven closed her eyes. She could feel herself falling. The two spheres from Morpheus' dream appeared before her. A calm euphoria passed through her as she began falling towards the dark and light spheres as they twirled towards one another once again.

"Are you God?" Raven heard herself ask. She was convinced this was the end.

Two childish voices giggled in response. This was not the response she expected from a divine being.

"What are you?" Raven's voice called out again. The two spheres grew larger as she approached them picking up speed as all three began to tumble towards one another.

"Not what, who," a child's voice calmly replied.

"Who are you," Raven asked.

Childish giggling ensued. "Not who are, who will," another childish voice cryptically answered.

"OK, who will you be?" Raven asked again hoping the riddle-speak would cease and a plausible explanation would follow.

There was a short pause before the calm voice replied. "We will be your sons." This voice appeared to come from the sphere of light.

A chill ran through Raven's soul upon hearing this. "I don't have any sons," she replied in shock.

"You don't now, but you will," the dark sphere replied in an agitated voice.

"The path to our existence has yet to be taken," the calm voice explained. "We are but faint shadows in your future."

The three were nearly together in the void. Brilliant light and warmth washed over Raven as she approached the two spheres. The spheres were quickly twirling towards one another shedding shards of light and sparks. Raven reached out longing to gather them into her arms.

"How will I find you?" Raven asked as she streaked towards them.

"There is only one path to our existence," the calm voice explained.

"How will I find this path?" Raven asked impatiently.

"We do not know," both voices replied. "But we can tell you the first step."

Raven watched as the two spheres finally touched one another. A brilliant flash of light erupted from this collision yielding two small silhouettes.

"What?" Raven asked desperately.

"SURVIVE!" both voices replied in unison.

Raven screamed as something bit down hard on her shoulder. She was flailing in the dark salty waters as the wind howled in her ears. Her mouth filled with water as she coughed and spit gasping for air. _Sol Palus'_ eyes glowed eerily behind her as her steed dragged her back to the surface. His teeth bit deeply into his master's shoulder. He released his grip as he struggled in the turbulent waters. Raven's shoulder ached though the pain quickly brought her to her senses. She reached out and threw her arms around her flailing mount. She struggled to pull herself on his back as the stallion kicked desperately trying to keep the pair afloat in the raging sea.

The Nightmare whinnied loudly as Raven finally swung her leg up and pulled herself up on his back. She spit and gasped trying to catch her breath. At least she was safe for the moment. Now the pair had to somehow ride out the storm and make their way back to shore.

Raven could hear an ominous roar of water tumbling over itself. The sea suddenly fell underneath them as they entered the trough of a large wave. Both were suddenly vaulted upwards as the sound of cascading water became louder.

"NO, TURN INTO THE WAVE," Raven shouted instructions to her mount. She pulled harshly on _Sol Palus'_ mane until he had turned himself into the wave. Raven could make out the crest of a large wave in the soft gray light of her stallion's eyes. It was immense. They had to get over the crest of the wave before it broke on them.

"You're not going to make it," Tempest's voice called out mockingly to the struggling pair. Raven looked to the side and saw the storm goddess skimming along the surface of the building wave. In an instant she turned into the wave and rode up to the top. She daintily flipped over the crest, turned and floated in the air watching them with a broad smile.

Raven leaned forward urging her mount onward. She gritted her teeth as _Sol Palus_ grunted, strained and kicked his legs trying desperately to reach the crest of the wave before it came crashing down on them. Their progress slowed as the wave continued to build. Raven could sense the pair was faltering. She watched helplessly as the wave crested and fell in on itself. She heard _Sol Palus_ whinny loudly as the ocean crashed down on them. Raven reached down and threw her arms around her mount's neck as the frothy sea enveloped them. Only then did she let herself scream.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter V: Beached**

_Sol Palus_ struggled through the last waves. The retreating water washed away the sand under his hooves causing him to stagger slightly. He grunted heavily then willed himself through the last bit of water and onto the sandy beach. Raven drooped forward barely conscious of her surroundings. The stallion collapsed just above the water break and rolled onto his side spent from his struggle.

Raven tumbled onto the sandy beach a short distance away from him. She pulled herself up on all fours and promptly emptied the contents of her stomach into the sand. Her mouth was filled with a salty brine. She must have swallowed half of the Pacific Ocean. Taking a deep breath she leaned back on her knees and tried to assess the situation.

The wind was blowing off shore, the rain had stopped and light gray clouds were whipping out to sea overhead. She turned and crawled back to her mount who still lay crumpled on the beach.

"Thank you," she said softly into _Sol Palus'_ ear as she wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed him with all her remaining strength. His only response was a feeble grunt. Somehow they had managed to pull themselves from the raging ocean. Guilt filled Raven's heart. It was her pride that had put them in that situation.

Raven looked out into the grey waters of the frothy sea. She froze in terror as she saw the storm goddess skimming the turbulent waters quickly making her way towards them.

"Come on get up," Raven urged her mount. They had to try and get away before Tempest seized them. She reached around _Sol Palus'_ neck and tried to pull him to his feet. It was useless. Her Nightmare was spent. Raven fell to her knees and squeezed her stallion's neck tightly trying to gather her courage. Without her powers and her mount drained from his struggles they would be at the mercy of the storm goddess. Raven closed her eyes and awaited her fate.

"I believe this is yours," a girlish voice softly said above the drone of the waves and winds.

Raven opened her eyes and turned towards Tempest. The goddess stood next to her with her left hand extended. Her eyes were unexpectedly tired and her body drooped wearily. A black slithering form withered in her hand.

"Go ahead take it," the goddess instructed.

Raven tentatively reached out half expecting the goddess to strike her down. To her surprise she gently released her hold on Raven's powers allowing it to creep down her arm and reestablish itself.

"Why?" Raven asked in astonishment surprised by the godess' mercy.

Tempest smiled down to her and let out a girlish laugh. "That's always the ultimate question for your kind isn't it?" she cryptically replied.

"Huh?" was all Raven could offer.

"You're always seeking answers," Tempest countered. "When will your kind realize there isn't always an answer to your questions?" The goddess shook her head in disappointment. "Many curse my existence, but I am not inherently evil. Only the foolish think that. The storm just is."

Raven looked up into the goddess' tired eyes unsure what to expect next.

"I am spent," Tempest said wearily to her. "It is time for me to depart and sleep." She reached down and gently ran her fingers underneath Raven's chin. Both girls looked into each other's eyes trying to gauge the other's thoughts.

Tempest lowered her hand and smiled one last time at Raven. "_Vale Atra Regina_ (I bid you farewell Dark Queen)." She turned and skated out along the grey frothy waters, skimming over the waves until she disappeared behind the winds leaving Raven crouched next to her spent mount wondering what the goddess' final words meant.


End file.
